Atiku Is Mandela Of Nigeria's Democratic Struggles – Jigawa Group
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 12, (THEWILL) - Former Vice President and Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar is the Nelson Mandela of the struggle to entrench democracy in Nigeria, a Jigawa group, the Atiku Forum 2011 has said.
But Director General of the amalgamated Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Senator Ben Obi insisted that the contributions of Atiku to the struggle to entrench democracy in Nigeria pales into insignificance when compared to the achievements of Mandela in South Africa and indeed in the world.
The group made the declaration in Abuja weekend while endorsing the candidacy of Atiku for the 2011 presidential poll.
Leader of the Forum, Mallam Abdullahi Abdulhamid (Mutawallin Hadejia) said that the contributions of the Turaki to democratic struggle is unassailable.
According to him, Atiku’s feat in the nation’s democratic struggles stands him out in the same “way Jomo Kenyata of Kenya liberated Kenyans from the wicked arms of the colonialist and the way Nelson Mandela liberated South Africa from the white man’s apartheid domination.
“That is how you liberated Nigerians from the dark clouds of the Obasanjo’s Third Term Agenda, thereby ensuring the continuity of democratic rule in Nigeria,” the group said.
It assured that it will give total support to the presidential bid of the former Vice President “because they regard themselves as members of the same political group, and will continue to struggle for his success in the forthcoming PDP presidential primaries and the general election.”
Mallam Abdulhamid paid tributes to former President Ibrahim Babangida, Lt. Gen. Aliyu Gusau and Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State for their “patriotism” in accepting the choice of Atiku as the consensus candidate of the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF).
Responding, Director General of the amalgamated Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Senator Ben Obi assured the group that its members will be adequately represented in the Jigawa State chapter of the Atiku Campaign Organisation.